News About The Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Remembering Annie the Peregrine Falcon

We wanted to let you all know that Annie, one of our education
peregrine falcons, was euthanized recently.As you know, the staff at TRC want to ensure
our education birds have a life of quality and we work hard to achieve this. Over
the last several months, we have actively changed Annie’s management and worked
very closely with the clinic staff to make sure she continued to be
comfortable. Despite our efforts, Annie’s condition deteriorated and we
recognize that it was time to give her the gift of a humane and gentle end.

Annie’s history is fascinating and highlights the incredible
and long-standing involvement in the restoration of the peregrine falcon in the
Midwest by TRC and the University of Minnesota. By 1962, peregrine falcons were
extirpated from most of North America, especially east of the Rocky
Mountains.Why did this happen? Mostly because
of the widespread use of the chemical DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a chemical insecticide. DDT breaks down into DDE, and is very persistent in the environment. Found in the thinned eggshells of peregrine falcons, DDE was one of the main reasons for their dramatic population decline. By 1972, DDT was banned for most uses in the U.S.In 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed in the U.S. Animals and plants that are in dire peril of extinction are "listed" by recommendation or petition. The USFWS and NOAA are the two federal agencies that administer the ESA. The peregrine falcon was a "founding member" of the Endangered Species Conservation Act in 1970 and listed again in 1973 on the ESA.

Many projects to increase peregrine numbers across the U.S.
were underway already, most notably at the Peregrine Fund in Idaho. Dr. Harrison
“Bud” Tordoff, Bell Museum of Natural History and Department of Ecology,
Evolution and Behavior, and TRC’s own Director Emeritus, Dr. Pat Redig, started
a project here in 1982 for Minnesota and the Midwest populations of peregrine
falcons. In Minnesota from 1982-1989, 178 young peregrine falcons were hacked.
Since peregrines do not make their own nests, or scrapes, nest boxes were placed in strategic areas. The
most successful areas, and the most controversial, were the nest boxes placed
on buildings, smokestacks, and bridges. After those territories were at
capacity, peregrines started moving back to the traditional cliff areas.

Peregrine falcons came OFF the federal Endangered Species
List in 1999.

Annie was part of the peregrine falcon restoration project
here in the Midwest. She hatched in mid-May 1995. She was a wild-produced bird.
Her parents were Lindee (male) and Comet (female).She fledged as “Cindy” (project band number black
over red M/*H) with her two brothers off the Montgomery Ward Tower (since been demolished)
in St. Paul, MN. After she fledged, Annie made her way down to University City,
Missouri where she was injured and recovered on July 29th. She was brought to TRC for treatment. Her wing
injuries healed and Dr. Pat Redig and his son, Jeff, both falconers, flew her
to prepare her for release. During this time, it was discovered that she was
developing a cataract in her left eye. This rendered her non-releasable and she
joined the Education team in 1996.

Peregrine falcons are an amazing success story that took
effort by many people around the country. The Raptor Center made a huge impact
on the success of peregrine falcons here in the Midwest. Annie is a part of
this story and a part of the legacy that when people work together for positive
change we can do it.